Go ahead and roll your eyes. You have heard it a thousand times: remove your mascara, wash your face, and never, ever sleep in false lashes. But is it true? The short answer: no, not always. The long answer depends on what kind of lashes you are wearing.

THE SHORT ANSWER: IT DEPENDS ON THE LASHES

If you are wearing a classic strip lash with a thick band and heavy adhesive, you really should remove it before bed. That kind of lash puts pressure on your lash line and can bend your natural lashes while you toss and turn. But modern individual lashes are designed for more than one night. They are light, flexible, and safe to sleep in when applied correctly.

WHEN SLEEPING IN LASHES IS SAFE (AND WHEN IT'S NOT)

It is safe when the lash feels like nothing. It is not safe when you can feel every millimeter of the band against your eye.

• Safe: individual lashes with a flexible, thin band.
• Safe: multi-day adhesive that is fully dry.
• Safe: if you sleep on your back most of the night.
• Not safe: strip lashes with a stiff band.
• Not safe: old, crusty glue or oil-based products around your eyes before bed.
• Not safe: if you are a stomach sleeper who presses your face into the pillow.

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS TO YOUR LASHES OVERNIGHT

Eyelashes grow fastest during deep sleep. This is the anagen phase, and it lasts about 30 to 45 days for each lash. When you sleep in the wrong lashes, movement creates friction. That friction pulls the false lash against your natural lashes, which can break the hair or loosen the adhesive. Your eyes do not stop moving during REM sleep, so a heavy lash becomes a lever every time you move.

If you sleep in lightweight individual lashes that are already flexible, there is very little force on your natural lashes. That is the difference between a lash that damages you and a lash that simply lives with you for a day or two.

HOW TO SLEEP IN LASHES WITHOUT DAMAGE

1. Brush your lashes before bed with a clean spoolie.
2. Keep your face off the pillow. A silk pillowcase also helps reduce friction.
3. Do not wash your face with oil-based cleansers while wearing multi-day lashes. Oil will break the adhesive and wake you up with half a lash line.
4. In the morning, gently brush through and clean around the band with water on a cotton swab.

SLEEPING IN LASHES: YOUR QUESTIONS, ANSWERED

Can I sleep in false lashes for a week?

No. Even the best multi-day lashes should come off after 2 or 3 nights. The lash line needs to breathe.

What if one lash falls out during the night?

Do not glue it back on in the morning. Remove the rest gently and give your lashes a break.

Are lash extension naps okay?

A short nap is usually fine if you are on your back. A full night of side-sleeping in heavy extensions is not.

Wake up looking like you planned to.

PHANSTA LASHES offers ultra-light individual styles that stay comfortable through the night.

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